I had never really put much thought into my PKB. For the most part, I had bunch of documents saved in organized folders on my desktop and could usually retrieve them easily when needed. Until this semester, I hadn’t used any of the programs introduced to me to organize useful news and information or to document my research, notes, and assignments. As a girl who loves to hand write and only go to my computer when long writing assignments are due, getting used to taking my notes on Evernote, constantly updating different Wikipages, and keeping up to date with the class happenings online was very new for me. As time moved forward, I found myself to be an organizational whiz (a notebook free one at that). Overall, due to the formal introduction of online services like Evernote, Feedly, and Wikispaces, I have found a way to organize my PKB that helps me and will help me in the future recall and search for past assignments, thoughts, and research. It has offered me a successful way to store my knowledge in an efficient and reasonable manner.
I first started broadening my PKB when I encountered a few issues with one of my classes. My most difficult class this semester was one that I never expected to have an issue with. Intro to Psychology rocked my boat and I needed to find a solution to the problem as quickly as possible. I went to every class and was taking notes, but it wasn’t sinking in. I tried taking even more thorough notes and paying attention, but my ideas were scrambled and I needed to find a better way to organize my thoughts and assignments. I decided to ditch the notebook and start using Evernote to take notes, capture the class’ power point essentials, and remind myself of what was due throughout the week. I started reading the book and looking deeper into the information so I had a better understanding of the material. I used Evernote to write summaries of each chapter and term that I believed to be important to the course. Evernote made it easy for me to organize what was important for each quiz and what I needed to complete for my recitation later in the week. If I had to identify my problem, it would have to be my lack of involvement with the course at the beginning of the semester. I wasn’t keeping my head in touch with the material and keeping myself familiar with what I was learning. By using Evernote to organize my thinking and ideas, it was easier to just go to the application and do quick reviews in my free time to make sure my head was fresh and not forgetting important dates and facts. Evernote turned out to be a great addition to my difficult psychology course. It improved my organizational skills and allowed me to do much better in the class.
This semester proved to be very different from the others in that I needed to adopt new ways to study. I have always been a decent studier, but this semester like I mentioned before I ran into a couple of obstacles in my courses. Reading my notes and staying organized were great tools for me and proved to be very successful and they yielded great results, but my favorite new study method is a fairly obvious and menial one. During the semester it is always hard to sit down and read a book for pleasure. There is so much going on that I never got to read my favorite books and in my free time I found myself laying down and staring at the ceiling for a few minutes. I decided that the best way for me to relax was to read my textbooks. It sounds very nerdy, but it turned out to be the best way to relax, but study in disguise. At the end of each night, I devoted an hour or hour and a half to reading a book that was assigned and free writing about the topics or information on Evernote. This strategy was something that I never thought I would enjoy. This strategy ended up being extremely beneficial when it came to studying for tests and quizzes. When I began studying notes for the quizzes that were scheduled, I not only had a good memory of what I read, but I had an organized paragraph of thoughts that I could refer to in addition to notes I had taken in class. My new discovery of an old classic studying strategy was one of the best things that I did this semester. I became more active in my studies and could recall information much more easily.
My PKB has turned into an everlasting resource for my college career. Not only does it house educational information that I refer to almost every day when studying, writing papers, and doing homework, but it is a great way to organize interesting articles and thoughts I have in my every day life. Being able to access my notes anywhere that I have my computer has allowed me to be more active in classroom discussions and have more thoughtful inputs. I can refer to specific ideas I had months ago, with an article reference and quote from an author. This allows me to be more insightful and allows me to also add more information to old notes in the future. Overall, I am very happy about my PKB this fall semester and look forward to using it to my advantage in the future.
Using a PKB has made me a more organized and insightful learner. It allowed me to broaden my abilities as a learner. It allowed me to be thoughtful and organized in and out of the classroom. Evernote especially has helped me be a more involved learner and classroom contributor. PKBs are great for learners who are interested in broadening their knowledge and effectively sharing credible and thoughtful information with others. I hope that I continue to broaden my PKB with Evernote and Zotero in the future. They are great tools for teaching and learning and have helped me become a better learner this semester.
I first started broadening my PKB when I encountered a few issues with one of my classes. My most difficult class this semester was one that I never expected to have an issue with. Intro to Psychology rocked my boat and I needed to find a solution to the problem as quickly as possible. I went to every class and was taking notes, but it wasn’t sinking in. I tried taking even more thorough notes and paying attention, but my ideas were scrambled and I needed to find a better way to organize my thoughts and assignments. I decided to ditch the notebook and start using Evernote to take notes, capture the class’ power point essentials, and remind myself of what was due throughout the week. I started reading the book and looking deeper into the information so I had a better understanding of the material. I used Evernote to write summaries of each chapter and term that I believed to be important to the course. Evernote made it easy for me to organize what was important for each quiz and what I needed to complete for my recitation later in the week. If I had to identify my problem, it would have to be my lack of involvement with the course at the beginning of the semester. I wasn’t keeping my head in touch with the material and keeping myself familiar with what I was learning. By using Evernote to organize my thinking and ideas, it was easier to just go to the application and do quick reviews in my free time to make sure my head was fresh and not forgetting important dates and facts. Evernote turned out to be a great addition to my difficult psychology course. It improved my organizational skills and allowed me to do much better in the class.
This semester proved to be very different from the others in that I needed to adopt new ways to study. I have always been a decent studier, but this semester like I mentioned before I ran into a couple of obstacles in my courses. Reading my notes and staying organized were great tools for me and proved to be very successful and they yielded great results, but my favorite new study method is a fairly obvious and menial one. During the semester it is always hard to sit down and read a book for pleasure. There is so much going on that I never got to read my favorite books and in my free time I found myself laying down and staring at the ceiling for a few minutes. I decided that the best way for me to relax was to read my textbooks. It sounds very nerdy, but it turned out to be the best way to relax, but study in disguise. At the end of each night, I devoted an hour or hour and a half to reading a book that was assigned and free writing about the topics or information on Evernote. This strategy was something that I never thought I would enjoy. This strategy ended up being extremely beneficial when it came to studying for tests and quizzes. When I began studying notes for the quizzes that were scheduled, I not only had a good memory of what I read, but I had an organized paragraph of thoughts that I could refer to in addition to notes I had taken in class. My new discovery of an old classic studying strategy was one of the best things that I did this semester. I became more active in my studies and could recall information much more easily.
My PKB has turned into an everlasting resource for my college career. Not only does it house educational information that I refer to almost every day when studying, writing papers, and doing homework, but it is a great way to organize interesting articles and thoughts I have in my every day life. Being able to access my notes anywhere that I have my computer has allowed me to be more active in classroom discussions and have more thoughtful inputs. I can refer to specific ideas I had months ago, with an article reference and quote from an author. This allows me to be more insightful and allows me to also add more information to old notes in the future. Overall, I am very happy about my PKB this fall semester and look forward to using it to my advantage in the future.
Using a PKB has made me a more organized and insightful learner. It allowed me to broaden my abilities as a learner. It allowed me to be thoughtful and organized in and out of the classroom. Evernote especially has helped me be a more involved learner and classroom contributor. PKBs are great for learners who are interested in broadening their knowledge and effectively sharing credible and thoughtful information with others. I hope that I continue to broaden my PKB with Evernote and Zotero in the future. They are great tools for teaching and learning and have helped me become a better learner this semester.